Monday, June 30, 2014

Summer…y'all, it suddenly seems like we're in the thick of it now. The watermelons, squash, hot peppers, eggplants and tomatoes are all starting to roll in, and everyone's obsessed with cooking out. That always begs the eternal question, "What does a vegetarian eat at a BBQ?" As you likely know if you've been here before, we have a few ideas about that. We wanted to give you something brand new for the upcoming 4th of July holiday this Friday, hence the BBQ Artichoke Heart Tacos we just had for lunch today. But we also wanted to recap some of our favorites for you, offer some choices, you know, because this is America, and we love freedom and everything like that. All of these recipes are simple to execute and are made from whole foods. The transformation from boring old vegetable to main dish comes when the smoke and fire infuse summer's bounty with flavor. So, in closing, we're wondering…what are you planning to grill this weekend? Leave a comment and let's get some ideas going!

BBQ Artichoke Heart TacosBBQ Slaw (recipe follows)2 14-ounce cans of artichoke hearts (whole or half)1 tablespoon BBQ dry rub (Here's The Chubby Vegetarian version)1 teaspoon white vinegar1 tablespoon olive oil1/2 cup BBQ sauce (Here's The Chubby Vegetarian version)6 small whole-wheat tortillasMake BBQ Slaw according to the recipe and set aside in the fridge. Next, preheat your outdoor grill to high (you may also use a cast-iron grill pan for this if you don't have access to a grill.) Drain artichokes and place into a large bowl. Add the dry rub, vinegar, and olive oil. Toss to coat. Grill artichokes for 6 minutes on both sides or until well-marked by the grill grates. Toss with the BBQ sauce. Serve on tortillas with plenty of BBQ slaw. Makes 6 tacos. (Serves 2 to 4 people.)